Automatic machines for stripping weld-upset from welded railway track rails and the like



I June 24, 1969 Flled Aug 5, 1966 w. H. MILLWOOD E AL 3,451,309 AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR STRIPPING WELD-UPSET FROM WELDED RAILWAY TRACK RAILS AND THE LIKE Sheet of 5 w. H. MILLWOOD ET AL June 24, 1969 3,451,309

AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR STRIPPING WELD-UPSET FROM Sheet 5 of 5 WELDED RAILWAY TRACK RAILS AND THE LIKE Fi led Aug. 5, 1966 June 24, 1969 H, WOOD ETAL 3,451,309

AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR STRIPPING WELD-UPSET FROM WELDED RAILWAY TRACK RAILS AND THE LIKE Sheet 3 0T5 Filed Aug. 5, 1966 June 24, 1969 MlLLWOOD ET AL 3,451,309

AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR STRIPPING WELD-UPSET FROM WELDED RAILWAY TRACK RAILS AND THE LIKE Flled Aug 5, 1966 Sheet or 5 June 24, 1969 w. H. MILLWOOD ET AL 3,451,309

AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR STRIPPING WELD-UPSET FROM WELDED RAILWAY TRACK RAILS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug 5,1966 Sheet 5 of 5 'Ill lllyk [va '1 United States Patent US. Cl. 90-24 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for stripping weld-upset from welded joints in welded railway track rails, and like elongated metal sections which are welded together in end-to-end relationship, including a cutting tool for stripping the weldupset from the underside of the joint. The tool is carried by a tool box movable longitudinally of the welded sections to perform the stripping operation and is movable in a direction normal to the length of the welded sections to bring it into an operative position. The operative position is determined by engagement of the two ends of a rocking beam respectively with the undersides of the joined sections as opposite sides of the joint.

This invention relates to automatic machines for stripping weld-upset from welded railway track rails and like elongated metal sections which are welded together endto-end. Automatic machines for this purpose are already in use, but existing machines operate satisfactorily only with rails or sections which are of substantially uniform dimensions in cross section.

Railway operators are now increasing the utilization of rails by laying them on branch lines or in sidings after a period of use on main tracks, and, in order that the known advantages of welded rails may be obtained during their second period of utilization, it is desirable that the rail lengths shall be welded together for re-laying. Owing to differences of the degree of wear which they have suffered, the used rails vary in depth. It is obviously essential that their upper surfaces shall be in alignment, and their lower surfaces may therefore be at different levels. Known automatic stripping machines, if employed to operate on used rails, would be liable, in some circumstances, to cut into the solid metal of the deeper rail at the joint on the underside, resulting in damage to the machine.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an automatic stripping machine which will operate satisfactorily on both new and used rails.

According to the present invention, a machine for stripping weld-upset from welded joints in welded railway track rails and like elongated metal sections which are joined together end-to-end includes a cutting tool for stripping the weld upset from the underside of the joint, which tool is carried by a tool box movable longitudinally of the welded sections to perform the stripping operation and is movable in a direction normal to the length of the welded sections to bring it into an operative position, the said operative position being determined by the engagement of the two ends of a rocking beam respectively with the undersides of the joined sections at opposite sides of the joint.

Further, according to the invention a machine for stripping weld-upset from welded joints in welded railway track rails and like elongated metal sections which are joined together end-to-end comprises a plurality of cutting tools carried by a tool box movable longitudinally of the welded sections to perform the stripping operation, the cuttin tools being movable in directions normal to the length of the welded sections to bring them into op- 3,451,309 Patented June 24, 1969 erative positions relative to the surfaces of the said sections and the cutting tool for removing the upset from the underside of the joint being positioned relative to the underside of the welded sections by engagement of the two ends of a rocking beam respectively with the undersides of the said sections on both sides of the joint.

Preferably rollers are mounted on the two ends of the rocking beam to engage the undersides of the joined sections.

Cutting tools for removing the weld-upset from the sides of the joint are preferably movable vertically with the cutting tool for removing the weld-upset from the underside of the welded sections.

Preferably, a cutting tool for removing the weld-upset from the top surface of the welded sections is movable in a vertical direction relative to the cutting tool for removing the weld-upset from the underside of the said sections, and a feeler is provided which co-operates with the top surface of one of the said sections to determine the operative position of said cutting tool for removing the weld upset from the top surface of the welded sections.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a weld-upset stripping machine embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation, on a larger scale than FIGURES 1 and 2, of the tool box of the machine;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the tool box, on the same scale as FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional plan taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, the machine comprises a base having at its respective ends two upstanding structures 11 and 12 between which extend a lower supporting rod 13 and two upper supporting rods 14, a tool box :being slidably mounted on the rods 13 and 14 so as to be movable longitudinally relative to the base 10. Two liquid pressure operate-d ram-and-cylinder devices 16, the cylinders of which are fixedly mounted in the structure 11, provide thrust to move the tool box 15 towards the other structure 12 so that it performs a working stroke, and to return it towards the structure 11. Lengths of railway rail 17, after having been welded together end-to-end, are fed longitudinally into the stripping machine, the said rail passing through tunnels in the structures 11 and 12 and being supported by rollers 18 and 19, the roller 19 being vertically adjustable to bring the rail to the correct height.

The lengthwise movement of the rail may be effected in any convenient manner, and it is held in position during a stripping operation by clamping mechanism, shown generally at 20 in FIGURE 1 which comprises a pair of horizontally movable clamping members between which the rail is gripped.

The main slide 21 is mounted for vertical sliding movement on the tool box 15, the slide 21, as shown in FIG- URE 5, including a fiat plate 22 the edges of which are slidable between a flat wall 23 forming part of the tool box 15 and flanges of L-section bars 24! fixed to that wall. The main slide 21 is moved relative to the tool box 15 by a liquid pressure ram-and-cylinder device 25 mounted on the top of the tool box, the ram of the device 25 being coupled to the slide 21 by means of a stud 26 fixed in the plate 22. The main slide 21 has fixed to it a cutting tool 27 to remove weld-upset from the underside of the rails 17. Pivotally mounted on the main slide 21 at 28 is a rocking beam 29 having arms of equal length, which arms support, in suitable bearings, rollers 31 adapted to engage the underside of the rails 17 one on each side of the joint from which the weld-upset is to be removed. The highest points of the two rollers 31, when they lie in a common horizontal plane, are slightly above the cutting edge of the tool 27, the actual difference in height being one half of the maximum difference in depth between rails which are welded together. The maximum permitted difference between the depth of the rail lengths is very small, a limit of about 2 mm. usually being chosen.

The main slide 21 has mounted on it, to turn about vertical pivots at 32, a pair of two armed levers 33 carrying cutting tools 34 for stripping weld-upset from the sides of the rail joint, outrigger frames 35 carried by the said main slide 21 supporting the cylinders of liquidpressure ram-and-cylinder devices 36, the rams of which are pivotally connected at 37 to one arm of each of the levers 33. The side cutting tools may have their cutting edges so shaped as to conform to the side contours of the rails.

A secondary slide 38, movable vertically with respect to the main slide 21, carries a cutting tool 39 for removing weld-upset from the upper surface of the rail joint and carries a feeler device 41 cooperating with the upper surface of the rail 17 to control its cutting position. The secondary slide 38 is slidably mounted on a pair of vertical guide rods 42 carried by the main slide 21, which guide rods also serve as pivots for the arms 33, and is movable relative to the said main slide by a liquid pressure ram-and-cylinder device 43 mounted on the top of the said main slide 21. The feeler device 41 is carried by an arm 44 projecting from the secondary slide 38 and operates a valve 40 controlling the admission of liquid under pressure to the ram-and-cylinder unit 43. The clamping means 20 comprises a pair of clamping jaws (not shown) carried by the rams of two co-axial ram-andcylinder devices 45 and 46 the axes of which are disposed horizontally and normal to the length of the rail 17. The ram-and-cylinder device 46 has a ram having a greater effective area than the ram of the device 45, so that a greater thrust is exerted by the device 46, a stop being provided in association with the device 46 so that it always moves to a predetermined position when the clamps are closed and the rail is located laterally in a predetermined position.

The operation of the machine according to the invention will now be described. Before a stripping operation commences, the tool-box is retracted towards the left as shown in the drawings, the main slide 21 is lowered, the side cutting tools 34 are swung outwardly and the secondary slide 38 is raised, so that a rail from which the weld-upset is to be stripped can move longitudinally between the tools without touching them. With the clamps open, the rail is moved lengthwise to a position in which a joint from which the weld-upset is to be stripped lies just to the right of the cutting tools, and the main slide 21 is then moved upwardly, by liquid pressure acting in the ram-and-cylinder device 25, until the rollers 31 engage the underside of the rail, one on each side of the joint, and lift it, if necessary, to eliminate any sagging. The angular position of the rocking beam 29 depends on the difference in depth of the two rail lengths which meet at the joint, the inclination of the said beam to the horizontal being a maximum when there is a maximum difference in the depth of the rail lengths and a minimum when the rail lengths are of equal depth. It follows that if the two rail lengths are of equal depth, a thickness of weld-upset equal to half the maximum allowable difference of depth will be left on the rails; if the two rail lengths have the maximum difference in depth the weldupset will be cut off flush with the underside of the deeper rail; and if the difference is less than the maximum a thickness of weld-upset will be left which projects below the deeper rail by an amount varying between zero and half the maximum difference in rail depth. In no case can the cutting tool be positioned above the underside of the deeper rail length.

The upward movement of the main slide 21 brings the side tools into alignment with the rail.

After the tool box 15 has been raised to this position, the clamps are brought into engagement with the rail 17 by admitting liquid under pressure to the ram-andcylinder devices 45 and 46, thus centering the rail laterally and holding it firmly against longitudinal movement. Liquid under pressure is then admitted to the ram-an-cylinder devices 36 to bring the side cutting tools 34 into their operative positions, and finally, the secondary slide 38 is moved downwardly by the admission of liquid under pressure to the ram-and-cylinder device 43 until the feeler device 41 contacts the upper surface of the rail and actuates the valve 40 to cut off the supply of liquid to the said device 43, positioning the cutting tool 39 at a predetermined small distance above the top surface of the rail. The tool box 15 is then moved to the right to perform the weld-upset removing operation. When this operation has been performed, the tool box is returned to its initial positions, the tools are retracted and the clamps released, and the rail is moved longitudinally to bring another joint into position for removal of the weld-upset therefrom. The whole series of operations may be effected automatically in sequence, the completion of each such operation causing the actuation, electrically or by other means, of a valve to admit liquid under pressure to the ram-and-cylinder device or devices which perform the next operation. Systems for the control of a series of operations performed in sequence by liquid pressure ram-and-cylinder devices are well known, and it is not considered necessary to describe the control system in detail.

While the invention has been particularly described with reference to the removing of weld-upset from welded joints in railway track rails, it will be understood that it may also be employed for the same purpose with other elongated metal sections.

We claim:

1. A machine for stripping weld-upset from welded joints in welded railway track rails and like elongated metal sections which are welded together end-to-end, said machine comprising a cutting tool carrying member, a cutting tool fixed to said carrying member for stripping the weld-upset from the underside of the joint, means to move said tool longitudinally of the Welded sections to perform the stripping operation, means to move said tool carrying member in a direction normal to the length of the welded sections to bring the cutting tool into an operative position, and a rocking beam pivotally mounted on said carrying member, said rocking beam having two ends which engage the undersides of the welded sections at opposite sides of the joint to position the tool in relation to the sections in said operative position.

2. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising rollers mounted on the two ends of said rocking beam to engage the undersides of the welded sections.

3. A machine for stripping weld-upset from welded joints in welded railway track rails and like elongated metal sections which are welded together end-to-end, said machine comprising a tool box movable longitudinally of the welded sections, a plurality of cutting tools carried by said tool box to perform the tripping operation, said cutting tools being movable in directions normal to the length of the welded sections to bring them into operative positions relative to the surfaces of the sections, said cutting tools including at least one first tool positioned relative to the underside of the welded sections for removing the upset from the underside of the joint, and a rocking beam pivotally mounted on said tool box and having two ends which engage with the undersides of the welded sections on both sides of the joint to position the tools with respect to said sections in said operative position.

4. A machine according to claim 3, further comprising rollers mounted on the two ends of said rocking beam to engage the undersides of the welded sections.

5. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said cutting tools include at least two second tools for removing the weld-upset from the sides of the joint, sad second tools being movable vertically with said first tool.

6. A machine according to claim 3, further comprising at least one third tool for removing the Weld-upset from the top surface of the welded sections, means to move said third tool in a vertical direction relative to the said first tool, and a feeler adapted to cooperate with the top surface of one of said sections to determine the operative position of said third tool.

7. A machine according to claim 5, further comprising a main slide on which the rocking beam is mounted, said slide being vertically movable in said tool box, said first tool being fixed on the main slide.

8. A machine according to claim 7, further comprising arms pivotally supported on said main slide for movement about vertical axes, said second tools being mounted on said arms.

9. A machine according to claim 7, further comprising a secondary slide movable vertically in the tool box, said third tool and said feeler being mounted on said secondary slide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 90--38 

